Hue Jackson blew past the Raiders postgame spread and its wondrous aroma as if his appetite were spoiled and his taste buds torched.

Or, maybe, the coach was chewing on his own personal stew.

Oakland's season, which came tantalizingly close to extending into the playoffs, ended Sunday and Jackson was furious with what he got out of himself and his team in its 38-26 loss to San Diego at O.co Coliseum.

Jackson expected better from himself, and he did not deliver, saying of this .500 season that "8-8 ain't what I want to be."

What bothered the coach even more, however, was the showing by his players. He and everyone else anticipated their best effort, because a win over a Chargers team with nothing at stake was the only way Oakland would have a chance to reach the postseason.

Denver's loss to Kansas City opened the door for the Raiders to win the AFC West, and they couldn't bring it home. The Raiders ducked out, the Broncos backed in, and the coach was livid that the team failed fans and coaches and everybody else.

During a candid and charged postgame session, Jackson vented like never before.

The coach who has avoided stinging critiques -- and boy, have they been warranted -- said he was "pissed" at his team, making no attempt to conceal his anger.

"At some point in time as a group of men, you go in the game, and you can say whatever you want about coaches, you win the game," he said. "Here's your time. Here's your time to make plays. We didn't get 'em stopped. And we didn't make enough plays, so yeah, I'm pissed at the team.

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"I'm also, like I tell them, I'll always put it on me. But I am pissed at my team, because when you have those kinds of opportunities, you've got to do it, and we didn't do it."

Jackson lit into his defense, which was a season-long weakness insofar as it never quite figured out a way to actually defend. Opponents scored 53 touchdowns against Oakland.

"I'm not making (any) more excuses for (anybody)," he said. "I've taken this thing on all year, and look, bottom line is we don't tackle very well in the secondary. We don't make the plays that you have to make in the secondary to be very successful. We're not where we need to be yet. It's my job, and I'm going to get it fixed."

Consider that code for hiring a new defensive coordinator, replacing Chuck Bresnahan, who was hired by late owner Al Davis. Chuck's unit struggled all season, never shaking its tendency to surrender leads, particularly in the fourth quarter.

Expect, too, the defensive unit to lose a number of players, for the very reasons so evident on Sunday.

After Carson Palmer connected with tight end Kevin Boss for a 22-yard touchdown, bringing the Raiders to within five (31-26) with 9:37 to play, the sellout crowd sensed a comeback. Oakland's offense had moved the ball most of the day, though it finished four drives with field goals.

When Sebastian Janikowski's kickoff pinned the Chargers inside their 1-yard line -- they barely avoided a safety -- the crowd responded. Knowing this was the final hour of a maddening season, with one wish already granted, Raiders fans made a simple request.

They asked for defense, clapping and roaring for it. They practically begged for it.

They didn't get it.

With San Diego facing a first-and-20 from its 10-yard and the crowd chanting "defense," running back Mike Tolbert blasted through the heart of the Oakland defense for 40 yards, his longest run of the season.

With the AFC West division championship available, Oakland's defense failed to break its habit of gagging when it matters most. There was no defense, again, and there was too little defense this season.

That's why the Raiders not only will miss the playoffs but didn't deserve to get there.

"We've been hanging on for dear life defensively all year," Jackson conceded.

"This is a joke," he later added.

"Sickening," defensive tackle Tommy Kelly said of the day's events, particularly Oakland's failure to take advantage of Denver's loss.

"This is a very good defense," cornerback Stanford Routt said, somehow maintaining a straight face, clearly oblivious to being in denial.

These Raiders were undone, in the end, by too many injuries, too much ineptitude and just enough invisibility. They weren't deep enough to withstand injuries to such stars as Darren McFadden. They failed to show for second halves at Buffalo in September, against Denver in November and against Detroit two weeks ago, didn't show up at all at Miami four weeks ago.

But the last defensive collapse, Oakland allowing a 99-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, finally sent the fans home and Jackson over the edge, killing his vision of making the playoffs.